ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday warned that the next elections could be bloody if all political parties failed to reach a consensus on a basic code of conduct for polls in light of the increasing polarisation and divide in the county.
Bilawal, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, said on the floor of the National Assembly that no one was ready to follow the rules of the game. “What would be left if there will be no trust in democracy and democratic processes,” he asked.
He reiterated that the political parties formulate a basic code of conduct so that the country could be run and elections may be held peacefully.
Bilawal clarified that PPP’s policy was clear as it first wanted reforms and then elections.
mong other things, the PPP chairman also revealed that he was threatened a night before the vote of no confidence to agree to fresh elections or there would be a martial law but he moved ahead with the no-confidence motion.
In his speech, Bilawal also lashed out at former premier Imran Khan and others for allegedly abrogating the Constitution and attacking democracy. The PPP chief demanded an investigation into the recent past’s unconstitutional and undemocratic events.
Bilawal chided the former premier by saying that “Imran Khan thinks he is a sacred cow”. “Imran attacks the institutions and the judiciary but he should be asked how and why he harmed Pakistan on the international level for the sake of his own politics. We have to stop this. The court and the parliament have to play their role,” he said.
“If all political parties do not agree on a basic code of conduct before the next elections in light of the increasing polarisation and divide in the county,” Bilawal feared “then the next elections could be bloody.”
Bilawal said that representatives of various political parties are jointly running this government. “Such situations are created when a country and its people face severe crises. In cases of war or emergency, political parties put aside their differences for the sake of the national interest,” he said alluding to the coalition government headed by PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif.
“We are in a very unique situation, there is a crisis at every front.” He added that the situation was even worse than what had been assumed. “The situation in Pakistan is at a critical point; there should be no two views about it.”
Every institution had been made controversial by a “selected” person, he said while referring to Imran Khan. “The harm that Imran Khan and his former government have caused to the constitution, democracy and institutions is before everyone,” he added.
The former PM abrogated the constitution and attacked democracy. The former PM, deputy speaker and the president have been abrogating the constitution and refusing to follow it since April 3 when Suri rejected the no-trust motion against Imran in light of Article 5. The Supreme Court later dismissed his ruling and allowed voting on the motion.
“How can this National Assembly, the parliament ignore such an attack? Our constitution has been torn like a piece of paper in the past as well,” he added.
It is the position of the Pakistan Peoples Party which has been presented before the united government that “this house must form a high-level parliamentary commission or committee to investigate” the abrogation of the constitution.
“I am saying that we should take the attack seriously, make a commission to investigate who was involved in this unconstitutional and undemocratic attack,” Bilawal said.
As far as April 3 is concerned, he said, the Supreme Court clearly termed it unconstitutional in its decision. “The people of Pakistan expect accountability of the former government for abrogating the constitution in a bid to escape a democratic process,” Bilawal said, adding that “if we wanted the democracy to progress then we will have to investigate these events. In light of the investigation, we will move forward on this front”.
“Since this attack was ignored, Bilawal said, “the former PM thinks that he is a sacred cow and is roaming in the country while making attacks that are against the national interest and our national standing.”
Expressing that the political instability was harming the economy, Bilawal said that the ex-PM thought he was invincible since it was ignored that the PTI government was formed through the “worst-rigged elections”. He said Imran was imposed on this country for four years and during his tenure he ruined the economy, isolated Pakistan on the foreign front, and attacked the constitution and democracy as well as the rights of the provinces.
“Till today, be it Cholistan, Sindh or Balochistan, the country is facing a water crisis. The wheat crisis was first caused by the geopolitical situation. Not only do we have to handle the crisis, but Pakistan, this region, and the whole world would have to face further difficulties due to the geopolitical situation due to conflict between Russia, Ukraine and NATO.” Due to this crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic earlier, he said, food security was a dire problem that the country has to face.
According to Transparency International, he said, the corruption of the last four years has surpassed all previous records. “We have seen how those around the former PM and First Lady Bushra Bibi were made billionaires overnight in the past four years,” Bilawal said.
Pointing out that there were irregularities in every ministry, he said that “someone should ask the former PM how there was such an increase in the wealth of the former first lady and her friend. How did the former PM’s own assets enormously increase in the past four years?”
Recalling PPP’s time in opposition, Bilawal said that PPP stayed within the constitutional limits and kept making its allies understand that PPP cannot take an extreme position and can win while staying in the parliament. “A historic precedent has now been set so that if there is an incapable PM in the future, no month-long sit-ins or physical attacks on institutions needed to take place but the democratic path could be adopted,” he said.
Bilawal said that the “former PM either wants new elections immediately or wishes to create a situation that paves the way for a third force”. “This is not a new strategy.”
“A night before the no-confidence,” he revealed, “I was threatened that either we agree to fresh elections or there would be a martial law.”
Bilawal added that the threat was conveyed to him via a federal minister through one of his associates. The strategy was for the no-confidence to fail but it was unsuccessful, he said, adding the institutions that had been controversial in the past but this time the judiciary and the establishment performed their duties within the boundaries of law and the constitution which was a win for democracy.
Imran Khan and the PTI’s strategy is still the same, he said, adding that they wanted elections to take place without reforms or push the country towards a crisis so a ‘third force’ could take over. “We have to work hard together for Khan’s conspiracy to be made unsuccessful,” he said.
The PPP’s policy in this regard is ‘first reforms, then elections’, he said, adding that the PPP was a democratic force and wanted free and fair elections. “Our demand has been the same in the past and is the same now,” he said and added that the same stance had been presented before the court and the people of Pakistan.
“We have to immediately repeal the electoral bills that meant restrict the ECP and allow the ‘RTS-plus’ in the shape of EVMs,” Bilawal said, adding that the civil society, FAFEN and similar organisations were needed to be engaged regarding the electoral bills, as well as other political parties, to ensure that the country is not toyed with as it was in 2018.
Referring to his London meeting, Bilawal said that PPP and PML-N already have a consensus that they have to implement the remaining points on the Charter of Democracy signed between Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
“We have to try that it is implemented before the next elections,” he said, revealing the parties were working on a new charter. “Even if it doesn’t see the light of day there should be at least some sort of code of conduct,” he added.
He said the political parties should agree on a basic code of conduct and give the institutions space so that they could conduct themselves in a nonpartisan, democratic and constitutional manner.
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